It will come as no surprise that kids are consuming content via a multitude of devices these days. But a new report from Port Washington, New York-based industry researcher The NPD Group reveals some interesting insights into the usage patterns of kids ages two to 14 in the digital realm.

One of the more notable observations to come out of Kids and Digital Content, says NPD industry analyst Anita Frazier, is that despite the greater multi-functionality that devices – including computers, video game consoles, MP3 players and cell phones- provide, kids are by and large using the device for its primary purpose. A full 86% of kids surveyed said they used iPod-like devices to listen to music, while only 17% said they used the devices to watch movies, for example. ‘What this means,’ she explains, ‘is that the idea of device convergence has a ways to go to before it really becomes a factor in kids lives.’ In other words, kids won’t be casting aside their computers in favor of internet-enabled, all-encompassing gaming systems or multi-functional cell phones anytime soon.

The study also revealed that kids download video clips the most frequently (7.1 times/month), followed by music videos (5.7 times/month), music (4.2 times/month), games (3.1 times/month) and ring tones (2.8 times/month). But the most popular activity by far remains playing video games, with a full 84% of the study’s respondents gaming on all or one of the digital devices.

As for spending habits, the group involved in the study spent between US$6 and US$12 per month on digital content (including games and videos), shelling out considerably more on physical media like DVDs and game cartridges (between US$13 and US$18 per month).